Habitat
Complex reef structures provide shelter, breeding grounds and nursery areas.
BÖËNA ARTICLE
Raising Coral
Restoring the Health of Costa Rica’s Reefs
Coral may appear quiet and motionless, but entire marine communities depend on it. Through support from Böëna Lodges and Lapa Rios, the Raising Coral project is restoring these underwater habitats while building scientific knowledge and creating meaningful opportunities for local communities.
01 — The Architects of the Reef
Why Corals Matter
Consider the lowly coral. It is actually an animal, though it looks like a plant, remains fixed in one place and often reproduces asexually.
Yet coral provides shelter and food to a vast array of marine species at the critical base of the food chain. That is why Böëna Lodges is providing crucial financial support to Raising Coral, a nonprofit in Costa Rica dedicated to restoring these vital marine environments.
“Corals are the engineers of the ecosystems. We can compare them with the trees of the rainforest, or even where houses are built in a city. Where you have corals, you have habitat and food available for different species.”
— Tatiana Villalobos, Raising Coral
25%
Of ocean fish depend in some way on coral reefs
5–6
Monthly dives required to tend the underwater nurseries
9–12
Months before nursery-grown coral is ready for relocation
02 — A Nursery for Marine Life
The Foundation of an Underwater Community
Tatiana Villalobos, born in San Ramón and now living in Puerto Jiménez, is a scuba-diving marine and coastal manager who supervises teams of “coral gardeners” in the northern Golfo Dulce.
“Corals are the perfect nursery for little fishes. Mangroves and coral reefs are really important for the little ones. Their structure gives them places to hide and protect themselves.”
— Tatiana Villalobos
Corals attract algae and sponges. Small fish feed on those organisms, larger fish feed on the smaller fish, and entire food webs begin to form around the reef.
Coral reefs also protect coastlines from erosion and storms, support food and medicine, attract divers, snorkelers and anglers, and create livelihoods for nearby communities. We also have corals to thank, in part, for many white-sand beaches.
Food Webs
Corals support the plants, invertebrates and fish that sustain marine ecosystems.
Coastal Protection
Reefs absorb wave energy and help reduce erosion and storm damage.
Local Economies
Healthy reefs support tourism, fishing and employment for coastal communities.
03 — Böëna’s Contribution
Funding Science and the People Behind It
Lapa Rios, a Böëna property on the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula, joined the project under the guidance of Priscilla Murillo, sustainability coordinator for the collection.
“This is a monthly economic donation and an arrangement for logistics, food and human resources — all to promote experimental research into the genetic diversity of corals.”
— Priscilla Murillo
One Monthly Dive
Böëna committed to funding one of the project’s essential coral-gardening expeditions each month.
Four Coral Gardeners
The support helps cover the people responsible for tending the underwater nurseries.
Equipment and Logistics
Boat transport, dive equipment and meals are included in the operational support.
Tatiana believes this support will make an important contribution to the science of coral reef restoration in Costa Rica.
04 — How Coral Gardening Works
From Healthy Colony to Restored Reef
Harvest Carefully
Divers remove a small amount — less than 10 percent — from thriving coral colonies.
Build a Nursery
The fragments are replanted in underwater nurseries in another part of the gulf.
Grow and Monitor
Gardeners tend the corals over nine months to a year while tracking health and growth.
Replant the Reef
Once thriving, the corals are moved to locations where they can help rebuild reef habitat.
The coral gardeners leave early from Puerto Jiménez, travel by boat to the northern Golfo Dulce, put on scuba equipment and descend to tend the underwater gardens.
Many of the gardeners are women and homemakers. Others work as tourism guides or in sportfishing, making the project a source of complementary income as well as conservation impact.
05 — Science That Builds on Experience
Learning What Helps Corals Survive
The Golfo Dulce project builds on similar work previously carried out on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.
“We took really good data. We know the main reef-building species, the best techniques for growing these corals underwater, and how to decrease stress or problems during the process.”
— Tatiana Villalobos
Restoration Is Long-Term Work
Coral restoration requires sustained investment in science, time, equipment, people and monitoring. The results depend on continuity and careful, evidence-based methods.
06 — More Than Corals
Conservation Works When Communities Benefit
The human dimension of the work is essential. Fishers and coastal communities live alongside the ecosystems being restored, and their participation helps determine whether conservation efforts can succeed over time.
“It’s more than corals. We have fishermen and communities living where the corals are. Restoration, conservation and ecosystem management will not be successful until we integrate local people, help them understand what we are doing and ensure they can receive direct benefits.”
— Tatiana Villalobos
Restoring a Reef Means Restoring Relationships
The Raising Coral project connects marine science, local livelihoods and long-term conservation in one of Costa Rica’s most biologically important coastal regions.
By supporting the people, research and logistics behind each dive, Böëna and Lapa Rios are helping give damaged reefs — and the communities that depend on them — a stronger chance to recover.